7 Advantages of Working With a USA Injection Molding Company

The plastics industry has a long history in the USA, going back to the early part of the 19th century. In 1907, plastics made from synthetic materials were first developed by Leo Baekeland in the USA. Injection molding machines were invented even earlier, in 1872, by a prolific inventor by the name of John Wesley Hyatt, a New Yorker.

Today, the top producer of plastics is China. While the Chinese produced approximately 33 percent of plastic products in 2023, North American countries – Canada, Mexico and the USA – accounted for 17 percent. This isn’t surprising, as China has largely become the “world’s factory,” producing an outsized portion of goods globally. Yet the American plastic industry is one of the strongest, and USA molding continues to lead the world in technological advancements.

Made in the USA: Molding Advantages for Product Manufacturers

The world is connected globally, and even when tensions run high, trade is still a vital part of international relationships. As such, manufacturers can source products and services from anywhere in the world, including plastics produced by various methods like injection molding, resin transfer molding (RTM), and reaction injection molding (RIM). Benefits the USA offers many benefits over competing countries, with the following seven reasons being just the tip of the iceberg.

Advantages of working with USA injection molding companies include:

1. Control & Ownership of Molds

In the USA, plastic molds and molding forms typically don’t belong to the company tasked with producing them. Though a handful of American toolmakers deal with prototypes, and low output production runs retain ownership of the molds they produce, ownership almost exclusively belongs to the end-product manufacturer. As long as they remain in good standing, product manufacturers shouldn’t have any problem moving their molding processes to another facility, regardless of whether they’re American or foreign plastic manufacturers.

2. Quality & Consistency

Excellent mold makers exist worldwide, but there’s a reason that the plastics industry (unlike many others) has continued to grow in the USA. Plastic molding by American companies is generally more consistent and of better quality, especially with processes like injection molding and reaction injection molding (RIM). The American-based Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has set high molding standards for the industry to ensure superior workmanship, a crucial element in many products made from plastic. Products made with American plastics also often undergo more stringent inspection and must meet higher standards than those made abroad.

3. Shrinking Price Differential

Many product manufacturers who chose offshore production did so because of lower costs, particularly regarding labor. Yet in places like China, where much plastic production moved during the 20th century, rising wages offset these benefits. An increasing number of companies are also finding that the costs of things like raw materials, shipping, complex regulations, and even corruption, add to their expenses. These factors have prompted moves back to the USA, where composite molding is becoming increasingly economical.

4. Supply Chain Issues

The Coronavirus pandemic made a mess of the supply chain worldwide, and most industries are still feeling its effects. Injection molding customers that depended upon Chinese companies and other foreign sources for plastic components found themselves unable to continue production due to logistical difficulties. Add container shortages, factory fires, and a container ship blocking the Suez Canal, and logistics quickly turned into a nightmare. Disruptions in production point toward the need for manufacturers to source injection and other plastic molding companies closer to their production facilities.

5. Strategic Advantages

The oil and gas sector largely fuels the American plastics industry, as several common plastics require the use of ethylene, which is made from natural gas. As natural gas is a plentiful resource in the USA, injection molding in the country benefits from easy access to petrochemicals. Plentiful American shale oil and gas reserves give the country an advantage in plastic production, which will be increasingly important for oil companies as transportation-related demand for petroleum decreases.

6. Innovation

American innovation hasn’t faded in the plastics industry, even after more than a century. Processing methods for plastics and materials that were developed in the USA, like injection molding itself, have continued to be used by manufacturers globally. Advancements in automation and 3D printing have shown how American ingenuity continues to drive technological advancement, along with the development of new types of plastics. In 2020, chemists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) produced a new, degradable polydicyclopentadiene (pDCPD) thermoset plastic, possessing a superior combination of corrosion and chemical resistance, durability, strength, and resistance to heat as compared to typical materials used in traditional injection molding, but offering the recyclable benefits of thermoplastics.

7. Tariffs & Trade Wars

Domestic production doesn’t incur import taxes. In 2018, such duties were imposed on Canada, the European Union and Mexico regarding steel and aluminum imports. This affected the American plastics industry, which depends on such imports to support its manufacturing. That same year saw a trade war develop that affected many industries in both China and the USA. In total, approximately $200 billion in Chinese plastic products saw new import taxes, including molds, plastic machinery and components, pipes, hoses, flexible tubing, furniture, building products, luggage, and more.

In 2025, tariffs ranging from 10% to 145% were imposed on China. China retaliated with their own tariff announcements. This ever-evolving trade war has pushed many businesses into uncertainty, with the price of supplies fluctuating often. Relying on American producers removes this worry altogether and makes business projections easier to determine.

USA Injection Molding by Osborne Industries

Osborne Industries specializes in thermoset plastics, particularly liquid molding using reaction injection molding (RIM) and resin transfer molding (RTM) methods. Our company has over 50 years of practical experience in composite production, which makes us the ideal partner for manufacturers who need to resolve challenging issues regarding plastics being produced abroad. Our experienced team works with a range of materials and can formulate custom materials to meet the most demanding of applications. To learn more about our capabilities, please contact us today.